The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-01-13

JOHN ROACH
NEW YoRK, Jan. John Roach, the
famous ship builder, died at o'clock this
morning. He had been ill for several weeks,
suffering from cancer of the throat. His
affliction was similar to that Of The late Gen.
Grant. The generous growth which caused
Mr.. Roach's death had eaten its way into
the side of the neck below the angle of the
jaw, involving the large arteries. For the
past few days Mr. Roach suffered great pain,
and to relieve him large doses of morphine
were injected, aud he was unconscious most
of the time.
Mr. Roach was born in Mitchelltown,
County Cork, Ireland. His father was a
blacksmith, and very poor. He came to this
country when only thirteen years Of age, his
passage having been paid by an uncle who
resided here. Before young Roach arrived
his uncle had migrated to Texas and young
Roach found himself penniless and a
stranger in a strange land For days he
walked the streets in search of work, and
when night came on he slept wherever he
could, under Sheds in wagons and areas.
He finally set out for one of the brickyards
up III oldJo III Ullo hO pc VI BCuVlLlEs
ment He walked all the~way to Troy, liv-
ing on charity by the way and was rewarded
by obtaining work in one of the brickyards
near that city The work he had to do was
wheeling heavy barrels of clay on a wheel
barrow. For this he was poorly paid, but
stuck to this work and six years after be-
came foreman of the brickyard. Shortly
after he left the brickyard and obtained en-
II. 1. ,f =
After learning his trade he returned to this
city, finding work in Howell's foundry in
Jersey City. In three years he saved 81, 800,
but this was lost by the failure Of his en-
ployers.
He opened a little shop on the East river
front and secured odd jobs in repairing ships
engines and furnaces He gradually en-
larged his business extending his shop down
in the region of the big ships arriving from
all parts of the globe and his future seemed
bright Shortly after his shop was burned
out, and having 10 insurance he was left
penniless. He then took turn at farming
in Illinois and succeeded IN swing $500
which he invested in lands in that state
firing of farming he returned to New York
and established a small factory which
steadily grew in magnitude until it became
known as the AItna Iron works, where the
largest engines constructed in the United
States up to that time were built
During the war he made boilers for facto-
ries and ships and gradually accumulated
fortune. He built the first compound engines
in this country for Trenton. In 1867 he pur-
chased the Morgan Iron works. Next he
purchased the Neptune works; the Franklin
forge and a large property at Chester, Pa,
where he established in 1870 the extensive
works known as the Delaware River Iron
Ship Building and Engine works, a corpora
tion of which Mr. Roach was president. It
was capitalized at S75O,OOO The panic Of
1873 found him owing S7OO,0OO, but his re-
sources were equal to the occasion.
In 1875 rpmors of his failure were extern
sively circulated, but they were set at rest by
his publishing a statement that he was worth
from 81, 100000 to $2,000000 over all his liza
bilities. In 1884 he stated that he was worth
upward of 81, 100000. At several times he
was interested in various lines o. steamers,
including the Mallory and Wards Havana
lines.
He began building iron ships in 1871, and
built la vessels, mostly at Chester, Pa, rep
resenting a value Of more than $3.50, ,000, ,000
Ninety per cent of the iron vessels now sail
ing under the American flag were con-
strdcted by John Roach In the spring of
1888 he purchased materials for the new
cruisers of the navy, for which he obtained
contacts. He built six iron-turreted moni-
tors out of nineteen constructed by the gov-
ernment within about twelve years. At one
time his fortune was estimated at 81, 900, ,000
Strictly speaking his recent suspension was
hardly a failure His assets nearly doubled
his liabilities He claimed that his credit was
so much injured by the rejection Of the Dol
phin that he was compelled to suspend. He
employed altogether 2, 400 men at his various
works, and paid $4,000 a week in wages
The big boat Pilgrim, of the Fall River line
Is one of the jobs Roach turned out in latter
years. He was staunch Republican and
worked industriously for his party. His as
Iignment in July, 1875, after the refusal of
The Dolphin by the government, nearly broke
his heart His tears blotted the assignment
paper as he signed his name and hurried
away to his home
John Roach's home, which is pictured
hn.n ta. 1..A-